THE principal of Somerville College, Oxford, where Margaret Thatcher studied, is attending her funeral in London tomorrow along with two students.

Dr Alice Prochaska said: “Baroness Thatcher was one of the key figures of the 20th century, and her education at Somerville was very important to her.

“I am honoured to have been invited to pay tribute on behalf of the college. I am also delighted that I will be able to share the experience with representatives of our student body.”

The college in Woodstock Road, where the-then Margaret Roberts studied chemistry, is also screening live coverage of Mrs Thatcher’s funeral for students, alumni, academics and staff.

Second year student and vice-president of the Somerville College junior common room, Zoe Fannon, said: “Attending the funeral of Baroness Thatcher will be a reminder to me of the power of the education my peers and I are receiving today, and of how privileged we are to be among people who will go on to do amazing things.

“When I think of Baroness Thatcher as a fellow Somervillian, I imagine the determined young woman that she was, perhaps sitting across from me at dinner in hall; and although we might well have disagreed, I think that I would have enjoyed talking to her.”

There was a history of tension between Mrs Thatcher and the university. In 1985, the dons’ voted to refuse her an honorary degree in protest against her cuts in education.

  •  The Oxford Mail will be running live coverage of the funeral from 8.30am tomorrow here on our website.